How Long Do Rats Last After Eating Poison?
WouterRats’ lifespan depends on the poison they’ve been exposed to. Some poisons act faster than others. One type of rat poison, called zinc phosphide, will cause the rat to die within 12 to 24 hours, depending on the amount consumed. When ingested, the poison will break down in the rat’s body and produce the highly toxic gas phosphine. This gas ruins the rat’s internal organs and cause pulmonary edema.
The best way to treat rat poison poisoning is to bring the pet to a veterinarian immediately. Treatment will include decontamination and administration of activated charcoal. Most patients will also receive Vitamin K1, which will increase the level of Vitamin K1 in their bodies and help prevent abnormal blood clotting.
Another way to speed up the process of rat poisoning is to remove any other sources of food for the rodent. Often, the rat will regurgitate the poison. The rat’s system will take a week or two to completely clear the poison from its body. If you have multiple rodent infestations, the best solution is to use an anticoagulant rat poison. These poisons work by preventing the rat from obtaining food and water. They also take longer to kill the rodents, taking 2-4 days to kill a mouse and 3-6 days for a rat to die.
Rats will take up to a week to fall for rat poison if the poison is attractive and has a high probability of killing the rodents. This is especially true for second generation rodenticides, which lack a proper delivery system. Moreover, second-generation poisons are highly palatable to mammalian predators, so it’s important to keep poison away from the reach of pets and children.
